Achieve a sense of fulfillment

For my first startups, to support the initial costs before being profitable, I was looking for external funding, mainly venture capital. I do not take this path anymore. When I started my consulting firm in 2003, I bootstrapped to finance my venture with success. My partner Erik and I, we intent to do the same with Slingboards Lab.

Bootstrapping refers to a self-sustaining process, where entrepreneur proceeds without external help or capital. In our case, we will fund the development of Slingboards Lab through internal cash flow (and we are very cautious with our expenses). For now, the cash flow come from consulting services we do on the side. Obviously, we do not accept full-time contracts, part-time only. Bootstrapping is a real challenge. In general, since we have two jobs, we work more than 60 hours per week. In addition, you need a good network to obtain contracts.

Currently, I am looking for a part-time contract. If you are looking for an agile coach endowed with a strong expertise in architecture, I'm your man.

Another source of revenue that helps fund my startup are training. On 22 May, I will provide training in Quebec City entitled "TEAM FOUNDATION TOUR: Maitriser l'agilité avec l'outillage Microsoft " This training (in French) provides an edge in the adoption of agile practices (Scrum) with Microsoft Team Foundation Server.